A collaboration of three superstar, Syrah and
Viognier-specialists, Les Vins de Vienne is a partnership of
vignerons Yves Cuilleron, Francois Villard and Pierre Gaillard.
Collectively they are part of a group of young winemakers credited
with the resurgence of northern Rhone wines in the 1980's. And in
1996, in addition to their individual estate projects, the trio
purchased and rejuvenated the old terroir of Seyssuel, located on
the left bank of the Rhone, just 25km from Lyon, and north of
Cote-Rotie and Condrieu. Their 2015 IGP des Collines Rhodanienne
Blanc comes from 3 hectares planted on granitic, limestone clay and
alluvial soils just outside of the Condrieu AOP. The vineyard is
sustainably and organically farmed and the fruit is hand harvested.
A true classic, this 100% Viognier is fermented using native yeast
in a combination of stainless steel and neutral barrel, then
allowed to go through full malolactic, and finally aged for six
months on the fine lees in tank and French oak. It's freshness and
rich texture pairs effortlessly with soft shell crab, pad thai and
roasted white meats.

From pronunciation to stylistic range, Viognier (vee-ohn-yay)
is one of the most misunderstood and dismissed varietals on the
planet. With its characteristically low yields and low acidity,
Viognier tests the patience of winemakers from California to
Virginia, throughout the Mediterranean, and everywhere in between.
The grape's purest expression arguably comes from the northern
Rhone's Condrieu appellation, where it has been called "the most
drippingly sensual white in the world" (Karen MacNeil, The Wine
Bible.) This village and the surrounding production zone is one of
the smallest in France, offering miniscule quantities of seductive,
aromatic wine at high prices. The Romans planted vines in this area
over 2000 years ago, and it is thought that they may have
introduced the Viognier grape varietal to Condrieu. It remains
unclear how it made its way to this region, but the story that is
bandied around the most has Roman emperor Probus introducing the
vine in 281 AD from Croatia. Of all the possible plots of land
in Provence on which to plant this infamously hard-to-please grape,
why the Romans picked Condrieu, one will never know for sure.
But its latitude, its proximity to the Rhône, its steep
granite slopes, and its soil have certainly contributed
significantly to realizing the potential of this grape.

(DNA profiling suggests that Viognier is closely related
to the Piedmont grape varietals, Freisa and Nebbiolo, and to
Syrah.)